Psychological Scars & How to Heal
by The-Great-Ledowski
Summary: After Leo's mother married Davenport, his life has gotten worse. The sibling trio hates him, Davenport's trying to act like his father, and then there's Marcus who he just can't stop thinking about. He feels like he's spiralling down into an abyss he won't be able to get out of and he's scared. Marcus/Leo and soon to be family bonding and healing. Story is rated at a high T. R&R :D
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Okay, hi guys! This was the story I promised which has depressed Leo. Fair warning, Adam, Bree, and Chase a.k.a the sibling trio aren't really nice in this fic, not even a little bit, which is why I like this story. I want it to be one where they begin to get to know Leo and finally realize that they do like him. Also, the reason why the sibling trio are so mean is going to be revealed further into the story. Don't worry, they're not mean for _nothing, _not that I'm defending their actions.

**A/N:** This is a Marcus/Leo and this chapter has a fair amount in it, but it won't always focus on them because this is a family fic and will focus on family bonding. This is an AU btw, so the no one has bionics and they're all normal teenagers and whatnot. Kay, you can read sorry for the long author's note.

* * *

"Dooley!"

Leo froze, hands on the handlebars of the school's door, and closed his eyes briefly. Irritation and something he couldn't quite identify began blooming in his chest. He'd know that voice anywhere, in fact, it was probably the bane of his existence. He refused to admit to himself that it was also the voice of someone who he had fantasies about, which made him feel vaguely guilty.

Exhaling sharply, Leo clenched the strap of his bag tightly and turned around, forcing a condescending smile onto his face. It was the only way to deal with this guy. And, it wasn't like now was the time to be having an internal crisis. He'd deal with that later, but now, he had to focus on the person in front of him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

A slow smirk began taking over Marcus' lips and he pushed off of the locker he'd been leaning against. It bugged the hell out of Leo that Marcus was immune to his snark, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he kept his smile on place and waited for the other to reply.

"Where's your siblings?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and leveling Leo with a heavy stare.

Leo bit back the need to make things difficult for the teen standing before him. He knew it would get back to the Davenport children, and they never did approve of his hatred of Marcus-didn't really approve of _him_ actually-so that option was out. Leo didn't want to get bullied more than he already was by the trio, thanks very much. So he opted to just reply to the boy and get out of this hellhole of a school as quickly as he could.

"Home," he answered shortly, intent to leave it at that. He swiveled around and tried to exit, but Marcus grabbed ahold of his bag, effectively hindering his process.

"I wasn't finished talking to you," the other said, annoyance lacing the tone of his voice.

"Really?" Leo asked, "because I was done talking to you. I mean, if you're going to give mixed signals and make me think that we're finished talking, I don't think you should be offended that I want to-"

Marcus gave him a warning look, causing Leo to abruptly cut himself off with an audible click of his jaw. He huffed and crossed his arms. "Fine. What else did you want?"

"Tell them I'll be coming over there in a few hours," he said, and then grinned smugly. "I'm sure they miss me." Marcus then turned and began walking away, tossing a careless wave as he left.

Leo stared after him, watched as he disappeared around the corner of the hall, then ran his hand down the length of his face. He really hated that guy. And that's what he'd keep telling himself as he turned and swiftly exited the building. Leo hoped the bus hadn't left yet.

* * *

A high pitched, furious scream of his name traveled into his room, causing him to visibly flinch. He set his book down just as his door burst open, an angry Bree glaring down at him. Leo raised his hands in surrender, unsure of what exactly she was angry at him for. With this family, he could never tell.

"Um." He inched back against the bed's headboard when she took a step closer, her expression turning from malicious to downright murderous the second he moved.

"Leo Dooley," she hissed, "You've got ten seconds to convince me not to kill you."

"I, uh, what exactly did I do?" He stammered his way through the question, all the while keeping an eye on the brush she had in her hand, less she tried to clobber him with it. Contrary to popular belief, Bree could be quite deadly when she wanted to. He'd learned that the hard way when him and his mom first moved in to this house.

Venom laced her tone as she spoke, knocking him out of his inner rambling. "You know exactly what you did." When she only received a blank stare, she threw hands up in exasperation. "The painting that Owen gave me, the one in my room? It's totally destroyed and it wasn't like that when I left this morning."

"That wasn't me," he protested, "I don't even know how that thing looks! It was probably Adam or Chase. Unlike them, I don't actually have a problem with your boyfriend."

Bree snorted and glared at him. "You need to work on your lying, and maybe try to be more discreet because Chase _told_ me he saw you sneaking into my room. I'm going to go tell Tasha so she can deal with you. Next time, stay _out_ of my things or else I'll deal with you personally." The door slammed shut behind her.

Leo sighed and let his head fall back against the headboard. He wasn't lying. He doesn't even know why he's surprised anymore, honestly. Ever since his mom, Tasha, had decided to marry Davenport and they moved in with the family, he'd been blamed for things that weren't his fault. His mother wouldn't actually punish him because she knew that the siblings didn't like him but still. Still, Leo resented the fact that he didn't have the choice to move in with his father, because if he did, he would leave this place in a heartbeat.

This place didn't feel like home, home felt warm and inviting. No, this was a prison. He laughed mirthlessly. Prison fit so much better.

Running his tongue across his teeth, Leo picked up his book once more and turned on the radio that was on his left. At the moment, the only thing that mattered was the book in his hand. He didn't know when he slipped off into slumber.

* * *

He was woken up by a hand caressing his cheek. Or, at least it felt like it. The first thing he registered was cigarette smoke, and when he got out of his groggy state, he peered up at the person, heart jumping in his throat once he realized that it was Marcus. The boy was smirking down at him, like always, but there was a look in his eyes that Leo couldn't place.

Marcus was leaning against his window at the right side of his room, the frame opened slightly to allow some breeze to filter in. His leather jacket was placed carefully in one of Leo's chairs-the one's he deemed "comfy"-which left him in a white shirt that had the words "Arctic Monkey" splayed across it. In his left hand was a cigarette that dangled loosely from his fingers. Marcus was careful to angle his arm out the window so that the ash wouldn't fall onto Leo's carpeted floor.

How he didn't notice the boy entering his room, he'll never know. Swallowing his nerves, Leo sat up and glanced at his clock, grimacing at the time.

"What are you doing in my room?" He asked, voice sounding a bit hoarse from sleep. "You weren't Edward Cullening it up, right?"

Marcus' lips quirked up slightly, and he crushed the remnants of the cigarette against the side of the house. "I told your family that I needed to use the restroom, then came in here because it seemed like a good enough place for a smoke, and," he chuckled, "I've only been here a few minutes, so I didn't exactly have time to 'Edward Cullen it up.'"

Leo clenched at his bedsheets, ignoring the embarrassment that decided to show, and changed the topic. "Couldn't you have found a better place?"

This was definitely not how he imagined it would be when Marcus came into his room. What he wanted instead, was tongues clashing, shirts being lifted, and the inevitable hitch in his voice when things got too heated.

Marcus shrugged, bringing him out of his thoughts. "This was as good a place as any. And I have to leave for my own home in a few minutes so I needed a place to smoke. My dad doesn't know I've picked up the habit again." The older teen picked up his jacket and slung it over his shoulder. "See you later." And then he exited Leo's room.

Leo looked at the clock once more as he chewed on his finger nail and slipped out of bed. Now that Marcus had left, he realized the severity of the situation presented to him. He was only five minutes late to the mandatory family dinners they had every Thursday, so he could still make it. Leo groaned in annoyance. He wondered why he even bothered to go to these things.

He trudged down the stairs, almost hesitant to enter the dining room. He could hear peals of laughter accompanied loud chatter and he didn't feel like interrupting the conversation, didn't feel like going in there at _all_. Having a lot of attention focused on him was anxiety inducing because Leo preferred to blend into the background more often than not.

But, he'd have to deal with it. When he stepped into the dining room, Davenport glanced at him. His mouth was set in a firm frown. "You're late."

Leo shrugged jerkily and took his seat next to his mother who immediately put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm only a few minutes late, Davenport. It's not like it's the end of the world."

"You know you're not supposed to be over a minute late," he said, "so you get to wash the dishes after everyone's finished."

Leo's hand gripped his fork tighter. He struggled with the impulse to leave the table right now and go find solitude. It's not like he had a problem with Davenport, in fact, it was just the opposite. Davenport was a pretty cool dude, a bit egotistical, but cool. He only acted like this in a few situations but it always managed to raise Leo's defences. He hated that this man tried to act like his father when he clearly _wasn't._ Leo ignored the siblings as they watched on with interest.

When he realized that Davenport was waiting for an answer, he muttered a quick, "Yes sir."

The sibling trio weren't even bothering to cover up their sniggering. Leo bit the inside of his cheek, hard, then turned to his mother who was staring at him with concern etching her features.

"I'm not feeling hungry," he said softly, "Could I please leave the table? I'll come back to wash when everyone's finished."

His mom looked ready to protest, probably because he had just came down, but he did not want to stay in a place where he didn't feel comfortable, where he didn't feel _wanted._ "Please?" He asked again.

After a moment, she allowed him to leave. He pushed away from the table and headed to his room, ignoring the eyes that followed his trail. He could hear his mother hissing something to Davenport, but he couldn't care less.

* * *

**A/N: Please tell me what you think?** I spent a fair amount of time working on this fic and I do have most of the chapters typed up. All I have to do is edit the rest and write the last few chapters. I'm sorry if this chapter is kinda choppy but I'm half asleep and editing isn't something I'm the best at

**A/N:** New characters should be introduced next chapter or so, and you guys will be in for a shock (hint: it involves Janelle and Trent) lolololol I can't wait for you guys to read it, **but only if I get enough reviews.**

**A/N: Favorite, follow, and review ;D**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for the reviews, you all legit have no idea how much that means to me. I wish would let me to reply to you guys without it taking up wordcount space on my story, but it won't, so I'm just going to thank all of you like this. **Guest, ****Swiftie22, Unknown, labratslover, AllAmericanSlurp, Guest, Vampire Girl, Kihonne, Cliapatra32, and Glee Clue Rock 1251****, you all rock and I would give you a hug if I could because giving feedback to writers is probably the best gift there is to give. **

**Special thanks to ****Criminal Minds Love**** for the in depth review, you rock Ily. **

**A/N:** I would like to remind you all that this is an Alternate Universe, a.k.a. an AU, so please keep that in mind as you read this.

**A/N:** My computer needs to go into the shops for a repair cause it's breaking apart (I'm legit scared it's gonna break) so I don't know when I'll be able to post again, hence the long chapter. I love you guys and I hope you enjoy this chapter and review.

* * *

Leo hated the amount of unfairness that seemed to be piling high on his shoulders, getting heavier and heavier as if they were testing to see how much he could take before he broke. He wasn't able to warn his mother off a rich guy, he hadn't gotten a say on whether or not he could live with his father, and he couldn't get his mother to realize that no, no matter how long they lived here, he'd never stop feeling uncomfortable. It didn't help that he despised the sibling trio.

The move was arguable one of the worst moments of his life. Leo wasn't prepared to leave what little friends he had made behind and transfer to another school, where he would have to start all over again. And god knows he hasn't made much friends here.

In the end, it was all just a bitter mess for him. While his mother ended up being happy and content, he was angry and restless. While she fit right in, he was left estranged, unsure of the part he played in the perfect little family.

Frustration welled up in the pit of Leo's stomach. Why couldn't he be happy? Why was it that he had to deal with unfair judgment just to keep that smile on his mother's face? He felt like he was dangling off the edge of a cliff, dangerously close to letting go and falling off.

Leo ripped himself out of those thoughts and blinked back into reality. His room seemed to have been hit by a tornado; the homework he had been doing was ripped up and thrown to the floor, books were strewn haphazardly around the room, and clothes were flung any which way, hanging off fallen chairs.

Helpless tears sprung from his eyes, and at the moment, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. He gripped the sides of his stomach and slid to the floor, chest heaving. It was all too much. Too much.

* * *

The thought of going to school brought a sort of unpleasant feeling to his chest. He still wasn't fully stable, courtsey of the little breakdown he'd had the night before, but he knew that if he was to ask to stay home, the answer would be no.

Leo shifted in his seat at the island counter, eyes straying to the clock every few seconds in impatience. The siblings always took an ungodly amount of time to get ready. While it only took him fifteen minutes, tops to get ready, they took up a whole hour. Though, he can't say that he's surprised. They didn't gain their popularity for nothing. Being rich and having good looks was sure to do that to someone.

He didn't notice them standing in the kitchen until Chase grabbed an apple from the bowl next to him. Bree was on her phone, presumably texting Caitlyn or Owen with a smile on her face.

"Are you ready?" Adam asked him. His bag was in his hand and he ha a look that screamed pure annoyance on his face.

Leo rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag from where it had been lying next to him. "I"ve been ready for half an hour."

Bree shot him a stare, and nothing about it was remotely friendly. "Don't talk to him like that, all he did was ask you a reasonable question."

The tension in Leo's body refused to go away. "It wasn't a reasonable question, Bree. I've been sitting in this chair waiting for you guys to finish whatever you needed to do. You all saw me. If I weren't ready, why would I wait 'till everyone was finished before getting dressed?"

"Because you're stupid," Adam supplied, unhelpfully.

Chase, who had been silent throughout the whole debacle, pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed rather loudly. "If you guys keep arguing, we're going to be late for school."

The girl rolled her eyes, but dropped the subject. Adam plucked his key from the table and the all made their way out the house, towards his car. Leo would have rathered walking or anything to not spend more time with the three than he already did, but since the school was so far away, he didn't have a choice in how he got there. Not for the first time did he resent his father for letting him be taken away.

Leo ignored the persistent chatter that filled the car as Adam drove. He didn't particularly care to hear Bree talk about Owen or Chase counter attacking every nice thing she said about her boyfriend.

As soon as the oldest sibling pulled into the parking lot of the school, Leo was out of the car, intent to put as much distance as he could between himself and the car. It didn't take him long to get to the school fountain where one of his only friends, Janelle, was sitting. Her curly hair was pulled into pigtails today, which he found insanely adorable, and her nose was stuck in a book. He smiled fondly. If anyone were to be his sibling, it'd be her.

"What're you reading?" He asked, taking a seat beside his friend.

Janelle looked up from her book and grinned. "Paper Towns."

Leo rolled his eyes and leaned back against the fountain. "Isn't that like, your fourth time reading that book? Next thing I know, you're going to be quoting it word for word."

"It's a good book," she said defensively, "and John Green has a way with words that almost no other author can match."

Laughing lightly, Leo pulled her into a side hug. "Don't worry, I won't get in between you and your book."

"Thank you," Janelle replied playfully, then turned serious as she stared at him. He knew what that look meant. "How's the situation with your family going?"

Janelle was the only one he bothered to tell about the treatment he received at home. She was the closest person to him at this school and she had proved herself to be a great friend. So he told her one day, when he felt as if he was going to succumb to the dark thoughts that overpowered his mind, and she proved herself to be a great help.

"Same as always," Leo said with a shrug. "Although I think the sibling trio are trying to see how far they can push me before I break."

"I don't understand how you can say that so calmly," she muttered.

Leo laced their fingers together. "I'm trying not to let it faze me anymore. Can't have them consume my thoughts all the time, right?"

Janelle frowned at him. "What I think you need to do is see a therapist. Because I'm honestly afraid that they are going to break you and I won't be able to help you recover."

"We'll see when that time comes." He ignored the worried look on her face and changed the subject. "Where's your boyfriend, anyway, he's usually here all the time."

"Trent's got a football thing. I never really bothered to listen to him, but I do know he'll be practicing after school so I have to wait for him."

Leo remembered when he first moved to the school and made friends with Janelle on the second week. They had become so close that her boyfriend, Trent, had thought was trying to steal Janelle away from him. Because of that, the first month in school was probably the worst bullying Leo ever received before Janelle caught on and put an indefinite stop to it. Apparently he hadn't realized that Leo was gay. Now, they were on a sort of friendship basis, which he greatly appreciated. If there was one less person torturing him, he'd take it.

"Alright," he said just as the bell rung for school to start. "I'll see you at lunch."

She gave him a smile and a peck on the cheek and he he made his way to his locker. Leo dodged the people crowding the halls until he finally got to it. He took out the things he'd need for his first three classes, then closed his locker, nearly dropping everything when he found Marcus leaning against the locker next to his.

"Don't do that," he hissed, clutching the books closer to his chest. Not that it helped slow down his heart beat.

Marcus tried to keep from smiling, but he was failing miserably. "Sorry, I didn't think I'd scare you that much."

Leo scowled. "What do you want?"

"Can't a friend just want to visit?" Marcus asked, feigning sadness. There was a reason he was in drama. It took everything Leo had to not scoff at the idiot standing in front of him. They were, in no way, anything that resembled friends. Anyone that related themselves to his siblings were automatically nothing to him.

"Goodbye, Marcus," he said, and began walking towards his class.

Marcus trailed behind him. "What do you mean goodbye? We have the same class."

"Regrettably," Leo muttered.

They said nothing more as they entered class, Leo finding his seat in the far back while Marcus took up residence next to Chase. Leo began taking notes when the teacher started up the lesson. He did, after all, have to maintain his good grades if he wanted to get a scholarship and leave the Davenport home as soon as he could.

* * *

"There's going to be a basketball game this Friday, you wanna come with?"

Leo slowly glanced up from the homework propped in front of him. "Who's playing?"

Janelle grinned when she caught his attention. "It's us against the Tigers."

"You're kidding," he said, excitement building in his voice, "Of course I want to come, I'd never miss the chance to see our team get beaten." She slid one of the tickets across the table towards him and he took it almost reverently.

"Good," she replied. "Don't bail on me like you did last time. I was bored for most of it because you weren't there with your sarcastic commentary."

Leo raised his eyebrow. "Is that all I'm there for? And here I thought it was because I was good looking."

"I already have Trent for that, thank you." Janelle ran her hand through the bottom of her pigtail, smoothing it down. Leo knew that gesture, he'd seen it time and time again when she was going to bring up a topic he wasn't going to want to hear. His eyes narrowed as he waited for her to comment, but before she could, her boyfriend dropped down in the seat next to her.

Trent threw his arm over her shoulder and kissed her cheek, then raised a hand in greeting to Leo. "How's it going, little man?"

Leo wanted to be mad at the nickname he was given, but he couldn't. Trent had been calling him that for the longest time, so he was used to it. "Good, you?" Trent gave him a thumbs up, then began to talking to Janelle.

Leo was always amazed at their relationship. The two were, almost, polar opposites. Trent was the kind of person who was better at sports than he was a learning, and he doesn't have a problem with bullying whoever suited his fancy, but with Janelle, it was a different story. She was book smart and street smart, and she was also a down to earth person.

Although, he could see how they worked. She shut down his bullying conquests and made him more calm, while he brought out her more childlike side. They really were good for each other.

Leo was startled out of his thoughts when he heard a loud whooping noise followed with whistles and cheers. He glanced around the cafeteria, unsurprised to find that the source of noise came from his step sibling's table. They were in with the popular crowd so he was used to hearing commotion coming from their general direction.

At first, he couldn't make out what was so exciting, but then he saw it. Marcus was sitting on top of their cafeteria table and he had gotten out his guitar, a small smile on his face as he began to tune it up. Not only was he good at drama, but he was great with a guitar and singing.

After he got the strings settled, he began playing. The cafeteria was almost entirely silent, save for a few kids who weren't paying attention. Leo huffed out a breath. That kid never missed the chance to show off. He picked up his pencil and began working on his abandoned homework, completely tuning out everything that was going on around him.

"Leo!" Janelle slapped at his homework until he looked up. An irritated expression crossed his face. "What?"

"Marcus has been staring at you for the past few minutes, and you're telling me you don't feel that? He's practically serenading you in front of everyone."

"Janelle," Leo started, "he's probably looking at someone else. I don't have time for your jokes"

Trent glanced at him, an amused expression on his face. "Hate to break it to you, little man, but he's definitely staring at you."

"If you don't believe me then just look. The proof is like, right there." Janelle was staring at him, challenging him defy her. And he wasn't about to do that. She had the mom stare down to a pat and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little intimidated.

Leo chanced a glance in the direction of the guitarist, and instead of finding Marcus staring at him, he was looking off to the side. "See?" Leo said in triumph, "He's not..."

He trailed off when Marcus' attention snapped back to him. A lazy smirk began forming on his face as he continued to sing. Leo could feel his face heating up, so he shifted his body so that it was facing his friend. Janelle now wore the triumphant look, and she grinned.

"I told you, he's basically undressing you with his eyes."

"Janelle," he said, embarrassment clear, "shut up."

She seemed to take pity of him, because instead of teasing him further, she took his hand in hers and patted it softly. The music abruptly cut off mid note. Leo glanced up curiously, but Marcus wasn't facing his direction anymore, instead packing away his guitar. He refused to answer the questions and confusion.

"Oh dear." Janelle sounded surprised, but the expression on her face was anything but. Leo furrowed his eyebrows and slipped his hand out of hers. "Do I want to know?"

"It'll come to you in time, Leo, it'll come to you in time."

With a tiny shrug, he went back to doing whatever was left of his homework before the bell rang for their fifth period class.

* * *

**A/N:** So yeah, I told you guys there was gonna be something shocking about Janelle and Trent *wiggles eyebrows*. I wanted someone to be on Leo's side, and since Trent's the bad guy in the real story, I changed him up slightly. I mean, he is a bully still but not that bad anymore. sorry for the janelle/leo scenes theyre really close friends and shes like his anchor.

**A/N:** Okay, you guys know what to do. Seeing as how I'm not going to be one for a while, I'd like at least 10+ reviews before I update again. You guys are the best so I know you can do it ;) See you soon, hopefully.

**A/N:** Um um, next chapter, you'll find out why the siblings are so mean cause like i said, they do have a reason as to why they do it.

**A/N:** Read, review, favorite, and follow :D


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** New chapter up! Sorry for the long wait, first I got my computer a couple weeks ago, and second, I was working on one of my old stories so I could update that. Hopefully the wait won't be as long next time since the next chapter should be the third to last one ((I think)) I feel like there's gonna be a sequel bc I leave things off kind of shaky but we'll see :D

**A/N:** No Marcus in this chapter, sorry! But he'll be in the next one. This chapter focuses solely on the Davenport's and Leo and why there's such a huge disconnect/hatred going on.

**A/N: **Also, sorry for the long paragraphs without dialogue. Me, personally, I love dialogue more that the description but this story just pulls out the worst in me, I'm so sorry. I hope you still read it tho ;-:

**Shoutout to ****Beverly4055,****Glee Clue Rock 1251****, ****Swiftie22****, ****Vampire Girl****, ****AllAmericanSlurp****, ****AwesomeReviewer2****, ****Guest****, ****Guest(2)****, ****ArtisitcAngel6, labratslover****, and ****Guest(3)****, you guys are amazing. **

**Special shoutouts to those who gave me long reviews a.k.a, ****Unknown****, ****Cliapatra32****, ****Criminal Minds Love****, &amp; ****rockybluewigs****, you guys deserve all the candy in the world. I love long, thoughtout reviews. **

**Anyway, onto the story :D**

* * *

"I'll text you when I get home," Leo said to Janelle, who waved in response. He smiled at her then quickly left in search of Adam's car.

But he learned quickly enough that it wasn't where it was supposed to be. The parking lot was almost completely vacant, the only cars left belonging to the basketball team and Principal Perry. Confusion swelled in his chest. Where were they? No matter how much they disliked him, they wouldn't just leave, would they?

Leo pulled out his phone and dialed his mother, walking aimlessly around the lot until she finally picked up. "Mom, are they home?" He didn't bother with hello's, or their names because he had a feeling she knew exactly who he was talking about.

"I was just about to call you, honey," she said. He could hear muffled voices in the background. "Donald needed the kids for an emergency, so they left about an hour ago."

"What sort of emergency?" he asked, annoyance clear in his tone. "How am I supposed to get home? It's literally a forty five minute walk to get to his house and I don't have any money for the bus."

"I can always come and pick you up, you know that," she replied, voice softening.

Leo sighed and rubbed at his temple before adjusting the phone. "No, it's fine mom. I need the exercise anyway." He didn't want to burden her.

"If you say so, honey."

Leo hung up on her and clenched his phone tightly at his side. He could feel the tears of frustration that threatened to fall, but he held them back and instead stared up at the sky. He could do this. The sun was still shining since it was only a bit after four and if he walked quick enough, he'd be able to make it home in no time.

Biting the inside of his cheek, Leo pocketed his phone and turned towards the road. He might as well get the walk out of the way.

* * *

By the time he got home, his legs were sore and he was ready for a nap. He groaned quietly then glanced around, unsure what to make of the silence that was rare in this house. It was unusual since the teens usually made an abundance of noise. Leo ignored his aching body and walked up the stairs. He poked his head into his mother and Davenport's room, unsurprised to see his mother curled up on the bed with a book in hand and tea in the other.

He knocked on the door to announce his presence. Tasha patted the side of the bed and set down the book. Leo allowed himseld a small smile and tugged off his shoes before climbing onto the bed beside her.

"Netflix?"

He was now full out grinning. "Heck yeah."

Tasha placed the book next to her and turned on the TV, selecting the movie "Captain America."

There was nothing like spending time with his mom to make up for the horrible walk he had to do. They settled in a sort of comfortable silence that he could only gain with her as the movie began playing. They were almost finished with the film when the sound of the door opening was heard. Leo sat up from his slouched position and moved to grab his shoes.

"Same time tomorrow?" his mother asked, mischievous tone in her voice.

Leo huffed out a laugh and nodded. He really enjoyed spending time with her, something he barely got to do now that the Davenport's were in their life. He bid her good night, then walked out of the room. He walked past Davenport who looked unbearably tired and down the stairs.

But as he hit the landing, the only thing he could think was that Davenport was nothing compared to his children. They looked positively wrecked. Chase was a sickly pale color and he seemed to be dazed, almost like he couldn't believe whatever happened, and Adam-Adam's face was a blotchy mess. His eyes were puffy and his nose was red. He seemed to be trying to hold back tears.

Bree, Leo thought, was probably the worst of them all. She wasn't even bothering to cover up her tears. She was openly sobbing and it was this choked, cut off sound that made him want to look away. Whatever resentment he harbored for them when they had left him had flown out the window. Right now, they weren't these perfect kids who had it all, they were normal people who were going through heartbreak that only they could share. Leo didn't know what happened, but whatever it was, he knew it was bad.

"What are you staring at?" Chase asked, his voice holding barely controlled fury that startled Leo. Even when they were picking on him, he'd never heard this sort of anger.

"Is this amusing to you?" He continued, "To see us like this, does it make you happy?"

"I-No, why would-"

"Shut up," Adam roared, making Leo stumble back a few steps. "This wouldn't have happened if you and your mom didn't come into our lives."

Leo's face turned into one of hurt confusion. He didn't asked to be put here, it just happened.

"Tasha didn't tell you?" He asked, chuckling humorlessly. "Our mother has cancer, and now she's in the hospital, too far gone to be helped. If it weren't for the two of you, there probably would have been a chance to save her. She and dad would still be talking and he would've noticed the signs."

Leo could hear commotion upstairs, as if Davenport and his mother could hear what was being said, but before either of them even had time to reach the bottom step, Bree landed the final blow.

Her voice was soft as she said, "I bet you wonder why we resent you. Mom and Dad actually had a chance of getting back together, they were so close. But then he met Tasha and everything fell apart. I just wish-I just wish that the two of you never existed." The last part of her sentence was broken as her voice failed her.

"Leo..." Davenport was there, eyes wide with horror. He seemed unable to think of anything to say as he glanced between the two. He tried reaching for him, but Leo wrenched himself back before he could be touched.

"Okay," he stated simply, then disappeared up to his room. He missed the look of regret that flashed across Bree's face before she broke down once more. Davenport, of course, could only deal with one person at a time and he held her in his arms, stroking the back of her head as his eyes lingered on the stairs.

* * *

The thing is, Leo knew they only said what they said out of anger. He knew that if they weren't controlled with grief, they'd never say something like that. Sure, they were mean to him, but it was never to that extent. That didn't mean it didn't hit close to home.

Leo stared at himself in the mirror, head cocked to the side as his eyes roamed the faded cuts that trailed across his abdomen and down his legs. He could remember how he got all of them, could remember the sharp edge of the blade as he sunk it into his skin.

He had stopped months ago, wanting to focus on the positive in his life rather than the negative. It had been hard, but he had done it. Leo had successfully managed to block out the taunting words that his bullies threw his way at his old school, and gradually their words had stopped fazing him.

He didn't know what was different now. A disgusted look crossed his face and he tugged on his shirt.

What was different?

* * *

**Janelle** _10:35p.m_

_you never texted me_

**Leo** _10:37p.m_

_srry, smthg came up_

**Janelle**_ 10:38.m_

_what came up?_

_Leo?_

_Leo_

* * *

**A/N:** This one is probably one of the worst I've ever written and I'm sorry but I'm intensely tired and this was a bitch to edit.

**Important to note:** I, in no way, hate the Davenport's. They're actually my favorite people and I honestly like the family feels that they give me, and the fact that they accepted Tasha and Leo, but I always wanted to know what happened if they were human. Would they still act the same and give the Dooley's a chance? I wanted explore that idea so I did and I wrote it. I personally think that they'd be the same as they are in canon but I also wanted to write them with not so good intentions. I love bringing out the worst in characters so that they can fix it later.

Tell me what you thought about this chapter in the reviews, and I'll love you all forever.

**Review, favorite, follow :D xx**

'Till next time my friends, and hopefully it won't take the duration of a month to upload.


	4. Chapter 4

It's finally here.

**TW:****_ cutting, talks of suicide, attempted suicide, depression_**

Author's note is at the end.

* * *

Leo left for school early the next day. He chose to take the bus because Davenport was giving the kids a few days off of school in order to properly grieve. The man had offered Leo the same proposition, but Leo had declined. He didn't want to stay in a place where he knew his presence wasn't wanted. And it was also because Davenport wouldn't stop hovering over him all morning, trying to instigate a conversation and talk about their _feelings_. Leo managed to maneuver his way out of every single attempt, of course, but it was still tiring.

He shifted in his seat and tilted his head against the bus's window. His hands unconsciously found their way to the hem of his shirt, itching to run themselves against the neatly wrapped bandages. Leo had gotten carried away last night. He didn't mean to, but he had slipped pretty bad and not only created more cuts than it was worth, but he had also forgot to reply to Janelle. He knew for a fact that she would be angry with him and he winced at the thought. That wasn't going to be pretty.

When the bus pulled up at his stop, he stepped off and immediately headed for the fountain. It was best to get their confrontation out of the way, and from the frown that crossed her lips as soon as he came into view, he knew it was going to be a spectacular one.

"Hi," Leo said, sheepishly.

"Hi?" She asked calmly, her face devoid of emotion. "_Hi_? That's all you have to say? I thought something had happened to you and all you say is _hi_?"

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," he joked weakly, but fell silent when she didn't smile. An awkward silence fell upon them as she visibly gathered herself.

"Listen to me, Leo. If you ever, and I mean _ever_, do something like that again, you're going to regret the day you made that mistake."

He glanced at her, and could now see the worry that was clear in her eyes. It sent a feeling of warmth through his being. To know that she cared for him that much, enough to threaten him, made him incredibly happy.

Leo smiled at her and sat. She immediately pulled him in for a hug.

"How was home?" She asked.

He hesitated for a second, a slew of emotions hitting him before he sealed them up once more. "It was fine." He settled for saying.

"Just fine?" Janelle pressed, concern in her voice. A surge of affection hit him hard. Her concern for him was probably one of the only things that kept him fighting. For a crazy moment, he felt the urge to tell her everything, to tell her that he had begun cutting again because of—but he couldn't.

"Yeah," he replied instead, "just fine."

She nodded slowly, doubt warring inside of her, but Trent distracted her from her thoughts when he slid an arm around her waist and lifted her off the fountain. Leo glanced up in time to see them kiss. He made a face.

"Some people would like to keep their virgin eyes _virgin_, thank you."

Trent grinned smugly at him when they pulled apart, causing him to roll his eyes. He couldn't help the fond smile that curled on his lips, though.

When Trent set her back down and sat beside her, Janelle immediately looked at him, as if she was remembering something. "Did you ever ask your mom about coming to the game tomorrow?"

"I forgot," he said, hands unconsciously flying to the hem of his shirt. "I'll ask today."

"Don't forget this time," she told him, brushing her fingers against his cheek fondly.

The bell rang a few minutes later. Leo left them with a parting salute and headed for his locker.

He didn't know whether to be annoyed or resigned at the fact that Marcus was leaning against it, that patent smirk etched on his face. He wanted to wipe it off.

"Is this going to become a habit?" Leo asked tiredly.

Marcus shrugged. "I don't know what you mean."

"You know exactly what I mean. Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Where would be the fun in that?"

"The fun," Leo said, closing his locker with more force than he intended, "Would be that we wouldn't have to see each other's face any more."

Marcus smiled wryly. "It wouldn't be fun if only one of us was benefiting from it."

Leo didn't take the time to decipher what that meant, but he turned to Marcus and stared him down. He looked really nice today, Leo noted absently, with his plaid sweater left unbuttoned to allow view of his light blue shirt. His black pants went perfectly with his vans, not that Leo cared in the slightest. No, he had other things to worry about. Like getting Marcus away from him for good.

"Look," Leo started, "I don't know what sort of sick, twisted pleasure you get from tormenting me everyday, but I would really appreciate it if you left me alone. I have other things to worry about, things that aren't you, and I don't need more added on my plate. Let's just go our seperate ways, alright?"

An unreadable expression crossed Marcus's face, before his features went carefully blank. "Is that what you really believe?"

Dimly, Leo was aware of the fact that the bell had just rang, signalling the beginning of class, but he felt like he was hitting some sort of breakthrough with Marcus. It didn't matter if he harbored mixed feelings for the teen, he just needed to be left alone for a while. Just so he could deal with his problems, and maybe then—maybe then he could deal with Marcus.

"You haven't given me a reason to believe differently."

There was a long moment of silence and just as Leo was beginning to feel uncomfortable, Marcus stepped closer so that he had Leo semi trapped against the locker. Leo's eyes flicked down to his lips once, but he dragged them back up and focused on a point behind Marcus.

"Did it ever occur to you, Dooley, that I wanted to be your friend?" Marcus asked quietly, breaking the tense silence.

Leo shrugged and didn't respond. He had expected Marcus to back off after that. What he wasn't expecting, was for Marcus to start laughing, and was doubly surprised by how bitter it was.

"From the moment we met, you didn't give me a chance," Marcus said, seemingly choosing his words carefully. "I hadn't even spoken a word to you and you already decided that you didn't like me. I honestly thought I had done something to offend you at the time, before I found out that you just didn't like me for kicks. Even though you were an ass, I still tried to be nice to you, but you continued to snub me. I tried this approach and it only seems to make you hate me more. And even after all of this, I still-What is it going to take for you to understand that I-"

Marcus visibly cut himself off, frustrated with his inability to voice his thoughts. He took a moment to compose himself. "You know what, Dooley? Forget it. I'll leave you alone, just like you wanted. You won't have to worry about me anymore."

He didn't wait for an answer, instead taking off around the corner.

Leo stood there for a long while. He had got what he wanted, so why did it feel like he made a mistake?

* * *

Janelle locked eyes with him the moment he entered the cafeteria. He should have expected it, of course, because he _had_ ditched the only two classes he had with her, but it still left him slightly weary and a tad bit annoyed. Leo wasn't in the mood to be reprimanded by her. He had his own problems to deal with, problems that wouldn't stop piling up one after the other, without her breathing down his neck about him missing a few classes.

Leo gathered himself, then slid into the seat beside her. He was honestly ready to be subjected to a long lecture, but was surprised when she only slid her half eaten sandwich towards him, silently telling him to eat. He glanced up at her curiously.

"You okay?" Leo asked her.

"I think I'm the one who should be asking you that," Janelle stated, worrying at her lip. She brushed a hand through one of her pigtails and took a deep breath. "You know you can trust me, right?"

"Of course," he answered automatically.

"Then tell me what's wrong."

He froze minutely, then plastered a smile on his face. "There's nothing wrong with me aside from the usual."

"Leo..."

"There's nothing wrong," he repeated firmly.

Janelle looked close to tears, her hands tightening around the edge of the table they were at. "Please stop lying to me."

"I'm not-"

"Leo, don't do this. You have to talk about what's happening so that I can try to help you. I can't help if you won't let me."

"Janelle, I promise-"

"Don't you dare lie to me," she hissed fiercely, "I see the way your hands travel to your shirt when you're lost in thought. You've started cutting again, haven't you? What happened that made you relapse?"

"Don't," whispered Leo.

"Tell me, Leo. Why can't you stop lying about this? I just want to help you-"

"Janelle," he said.

She continued, ignoring his pleas. "I don't want to see you like this anymore, Leo. I want you to be happy, and I want you to be able to show emotions that you actually _feel_. I know you're hurting, I can see it, and it hurts that you don't trust me enough to let me try to make things better."

"I don't want your help," he snapped, resisting the urge to leave the table. "I can deal with this by myself. I've done it before."

"And how did that work out." Leo flinched at the words. "You don't have to keep things to yourself anymore. I'm here to be someone you can confide in so that things don't get to that point anymore. If you would just-"

Leo laughed mirthlessly, startling Janelle. "Do you really think it's that easy? I've always internalized what I was feeling because I learned at a young age that telling people about my problems won't do anything except make things _worse_. I've learned to rely on myself, and if cutting is a way for me to feel better, who are you to say that it's wrong? I would never tell you about my problems, Janelle, because I can't subject you with my burdens. You would feel helpless, like you couldn't do anything, and then what? Would you start to hate yourself?

"I can't have that. I love you like you're my sister, and I don't want to put you through that. Leave it be, won't you?"

"I don't believe that," said Janelle, refusing to let things go. "You're just afraid."

"Why can't you let things be?" Leo asked, slightly hysterical. "What do you want me to say? That the only thing I seem capable of is screwing up? That I've been pushing away the guy I like and now he hates me? That I can't stop thinking about killing myself because it seems like the only way to obtain happiness? What do you_ want_, Janelle?"

She stared at him, fear in her eyes. "I-"

He pushed away from the table and left for the doors. He couldn't deal with this right now, he couldn't do this, all of it, everything was just proving to be _too much_. Leo walked into the bathroom and slid down to the floor, hot tears spilling from his eyes. Why couldn't he catch a break? Why couldn't he be normal?

* * *

Leo entered the house, eyes downcast in order to hide how utterly draining the day was for him. He could hear the light conversation going on in the living room, and had half a mind to turn right back around and reside in the park until everyone went to sleep. He knew that everyone was in the living room. Leo didn't want to face them right now, but he had no choice, not if he wanted to take a long nap.

His mother was the first one he saw. She was sitting in one of the armchairs, facing the long couch. Davenport he saw next, followed by Bree who was leaning against him heavily, taking what comfort she could. Chase and Adam were right next to her, but they weren't getting comfort from Davenport, seemingly content to just be in each other's presence.

He wondered just why they seemed so okay to be in his mother's vicinity after giving her the cold shoulder for the longest, but he didn't ponder on it for long.

His mother looked up at him. "Hi, honey, how was your day?"

The rest of them turned to him, as if they were only now noticing his appearance. He skillfully avoided all of their eyes and forced a smile on his face.

"It was fine," he answered haltingly.

His mother didn't seem to notice, but Davenport did. A look crossed his face, but Leo missed it since he was only paying attention to the floor. When Tasha didn't say anything else, he moved to the stairs, then stopped when his feet touched the first stair.

"Hey mom?" Leo turned to her and stared her in the eyes. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too, baby."

There was definite panic in Davenport's eyes now and he turned to his wife, who watched as her child left up the stairs with a defeated air around him. When he disappeared, she shot out of the chair and hovered for a moment, her panic matching Davenport's.

"Tasha, what-"

"Leo stopped telling me he loved me in front of people when he was seven. The last time he ever did that, he tried to commit..." She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence.

"Kids, stay down here. Don't come upstairs until I tell you that you can." And then he and Tasha were after Leo.

The three stared at each other, faces completely ashen. They flinched at the sound of a door being broken open, which was followed by an anguished cry.

* * *

**A/N:** So I actually wrote this at the beginning of March but I'm only getting around to posting it? Dead in the night too, wow, this is a new one for me. Anyway, I'm sure people lost interest in this and that's totally fine bc I get it. I haven't updated since, like, June. And a main reason for that is because I looked back on this story &amp; saw how rushed it was. Like, I need to edit so much things and it sucked my motivation right down the drain. When I finish writing this story, I think I'm going to go back &amp; make some major edits.

Anyway, no telling when the next update will be. I'm still struggling with actually liking what I write &amp; the need to improve, so once I get over that hurdle, we'll be golden.

Lastly, I thinking of making the next chapter in exclusively the Davenports + Tasha's point of view, but no promises. Hoping to insert a bit more Marcus as well, but again, no promises. Any thoughts?

Until next time xx


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